Duo's Mistake
by Starreacher
Summary: Duo is in trouble and the other Pilots and their girls take matters into their own hands. Short fluff. Please R&R! Sequel probably going to follow.


I do not own Gundam Wing or any of it's characters – much as I'd like to. And I definitely do not own Nasty Naughty Boy by Christina Aguilera, even though I would Love to. I love this song, its sex put to music lol!

The diner was quiet, a few customers sipping coffee, trying to ignore the world. The air was hot and humid, and the guy behind the counter was fat and greasy. The bell on the door tinkled, and a young man with dark hair and Prussian blue eyes stepped in. The patrons didn't even look up. Heero Yuy sneered at the cheap decor of the place, his eyes scanning the room until he found the one he was looking for. Sliding into the booth, he shook his head in pity at the wreck of a man in front of him. Duo's braid didn't look like it had been washed in weeks, and he stank of alcohol. His usual black clothes were covered in dirt and grime, and his ever-present priests dog collar had been torn up and left to flutter to the table in front of him. His head rested on his arms, and an untouched polystyrene cup of coffee sat cold next to him. Heero rapped him smartly on the head, waking him up.

"Maxwell." Duo groaned and put a hand to his head.

"Heero? What you doing here?" He muttered groggily. "Leave me alone." He groaned as light hit his eyes, and sank back into the stupor he had been in. Heero grimaced, then yanked him out of the booth.

"Hey!" Duo yelled. "What in the name of the God of Death was all that about?"

"You're coming to ours for dinner. Or had you forgotten?" Heero wrinkled his nose. "And a bath. You stink." Duo stood slowly.

"Yeah, nice to see you to best buddy." He grumbled as he followed Heero out of the diner. Getting into the posh car that sat outside, he at least looked embarrassed as he was confronted with the Vice Foreign Minister of the ESUN.

"Hello Duo." Relena said tenderly as Heero slid in beside her. "How are you?" Duo looked ashamed of himself.

"Hung over." He answered truthfully. Relena smiled. He never lied.

"Well we are taking you out tonight. And we are keeping an eye on your drinking too. You can't sit and stew in that hole of an apartment getting drunk every night."

"Yeah well, it's all I'm fit for." Duo said, rubbing his neck as it creaked.

"That's not true. You would be very useful as a Preventor."

"No thanks. I left that behind a long time ago. I've seen enough bloodshed." Duo sighed. "Look Miss Relena, Heero, I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine, really. I don't need an intervention." Relena looked at Heero worriedly.

"Maxwell, you're the closest thing to a best friend I have. I'm not going to let you throw your life away. You're coming with us." Heero's death glare made Duo look away.

"Fine." He grated out, feeling used by the guilt trip. They pulled up to Relena and Heero's house and split up, Duo and Heero in the direction of the shower and Relena to her study.

An hour later, Duo came downstairs, having borrowed some of Heero's clothes. The black jeans and red t-shirt fit him nicely, and a black jacket was slung over his shoulder. Relena nodded approvingly when she saw him. The awful stench of alcohol was gone, and his braid was clean and tangle free. She vaguely noticed he had brushed his teeth as well when he leaned in to brush a kiss across her cheek.

"Thanks Lena, for everything. I feel much better." He turned to Heero. "Buddy, I got a problem. I need help." Heero nodded.

"After tonight, you go cold turkey. And you aren't drinking too much tonight, I guarantee it." Heero said, Prussian eyes staring into violet eyes. Duo nodded, then jumped as the doorbell rang.

"That'll be Quatre and Dorothy." Relena said, seconds before they walked in.

"Hey, look who we found outside." Quatre laughed as Trowa and Catherine walked in, hand in hand. They greeted Relena and Heero, then turned to Duo.

"And where have you been?" Catherine demanded, her hands on her hips. Duo tried to give a cheeky grin and failed.

"Sorry guys, I should have stayed in touch, but I didn't wanna intrude. You guys have your own lives now, you don't need me hanging around." Quatre held up a hand.

"We would always have been glad to see you, Duo." He smiled.

"Yeah well, I'm gonna turn it around. No more moping." Duo smiled back, and Trowa came over and shook his hand.

"Glad to hear it." He smiled. Catherine gave him a hug, and Dorothy nodded. The door rang again, and soon Wufei and Sally joined them, Duo looking surprisingly sheepish. Wufei glared at him, but Sally came over and hugged him.

"I'm glad you're safe." She murmured.

"Sally, I'm sorry, about your wedding. I shouldn't have-"

"Shhh, it's OK Duo, it's fine. You could have picked a better day to get drunk, but you really worried us when you ran out like that. Don't ever scare us like that again, OK?" She demanded, holding his face in her two hands. Duo nodded, and tears began to pour down his face. Sally held him tight and pulled him down to sit next to her on the couch.

"I'm such a mess Sal, I can't eat, or sleep. If I could turn it back, I would change so much. I wouldn't have left, I wouldn't have-"

"It's OK Duo, it's OK." Relena sat down on his other side and rubbed his back. "We know."

"No you don't." Duo said, sniffling loudly and straightening. "I said some pretty bad things. I called her a slut, and said I never wanted to see her again. I told her girls like her were ten a penny, but they aren't Lena." He looked around at his friends, his eyes filled with pain. Dropping his head into his hands, he heaved a great sigh. "She's one in a million, and I pushed her away. I hurt her, and now she's disappeared. I'm never gonna see her again. I can't live without her, and it's killing me." Dorothy appeared at his knee, and the other pilots came closer slowly.

"Duo, you have to forgive yourself, you can't do this, it's eating you away." Dorothy murmured.

"It's my sin, and my penance." Duo whispered harshly. Shaking his head, he shook off the dark mood.

"But enough. What about dinner huh?" The others looked at each other, then decided to take it as a good sign that he was talking about food and left the house, Duo in the middle of them.

Half an hour later, they pulled up to a little blues club in the downtown area of the city. Duo felt out of place and awkward, surrounded by couples that were so obviously having a good time. He felt their occasional glances of pity as keenly as a bullet through his heart, and his feet felt heavy as he imagined an entire night in happy couple land.

They were shown to a large table near the stage, where a man sat on a single stool, playing a guitar and harmonica. His gravelly voice flowed over the people listening, and the sounds drowned out the chatter and noise of people eating. It was an up market place, frequented by the rich, and Duo again felt like a fish out of water. He ended up sat on the end, nearest the stage, and ordered a straight whisky and a medium rare steak. He tried to commit to the conversation, but found himself watching the stage more and more.

"Well, thankyou Dougie Smith." The presenter announced as the man on stage took a bow. Duo clapped as he left, he had been good after all. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the sight that you've all been waiting to see. Straight from L5, the one woman blues act that is taking the scene by storm. Please welcome, Scrap!" He bowed and left the stage, and the curtains parted to reveal sparkling net curtains and a full jazz and blues band. At the top of the steps leading to the back, a woman stood with her back to the audience, clothed in a form fitting black dress and bathed in blue lights. The club had gone suddenly silent, and Duo couldn't take his eyes off her. Behind him, his friends cast furtive looks at each other.

Come here big boy

The words echoed out over the club, and men whistled and whooped. The woman turned around and glided down to a vintage silver microphone at centre stage. Her hair hung to her shoulders in waves, and was pinned at the side with a single lily. Her full red lips formed words, and Duo couldn't take his eyes off her.

Ahh, mmmhmm, yeah

You've been a bad bad boy  
I'm gonna take my time, so enjoy  
There's no need to feel no shame  
Relax and sip upon my champagne  
'Cause I wanna give you a little taste  
Of the sugar below my waist, you nasty boy

Her eyes smouldered, sweeping the crowd, and the room shuddered from the heat. Her eyes locked onto Duo's for a minute, and she smiled at him seductively.

I'll give you some oh-la-la  
Voulez vous coucher avec moi?  
I got you breaking into a sweat  
Got you hot, bothered, and wet  
You nasty boy  
Nasty naughty boy

Duo racked his brains. Those eyes, he had seen those eyes before, but where? He watched the woman move, her hips winding in time with her music. The last time he saw them, they had been full of pain.

Oh baby for all it's worth  
I swear I'll be the first to blow your mind  
Now if you're ready, come and get me  
I'll give you that hot, sweet, sexy loving (loving)

The realisation hit him like a punch. He stared at the woman before him, that sexy, sultry siren, and tried to imagine the girl he had once known. She was still there, but fully matured into the goddess that was putting her heart and soul into her performance. Her hair was longer, but still blue black, and her hourglass figure was more pronounced in that dress that clung to every curve.

Hush now, don't say a word  
I'm gonna give you what you deserve  
Now you better give me a little taste  
Put your icing on my cake  
You nasty boy

Hilde nearly stopped singing when she saw her friends on the table next to the stage, and when she saw Duo her stomach flipped. He looked so hot sat there, and he didn't even realise who she was. Seconds later, she saw him recognise her, and she focussed on the song, trying to ignore the way her body was flushing with heat as he stared at her in awe. Flashing him another smile, she threw herself into her performance.

Oh no, oh there I go again  
I need a spanking, 'cause I've been bad  
So let my body do the talkin'  
I'll slip you that hot, sweet, sexy loving

Duo felt his gut drop out when she smiled at him again, and he tried not to imagine the feel of her lips against his skin, as the song was obviously designed to do. Behind him, the other occupants of the table grinned at each other as they realised that his attention was glued to the woman in front of him.

Ohh ha!  
Come on daddy!  
Ohh ohh, ohh ohh oh yeah  
Oh yeaah oh, come on, sugar

Hilde's body moved, her hips swaying slowly. Her performance was spectacular, and more than one male in the room was fantasising about her.

I got you breaking into a sweat  
Got you hot, bothered, and wet  
You nasty boy  
Nasty naughty boy  
Naughty boy

She unhooked the microphone and walked among the front tables, stroking the shoulders of one man, the face of another. She moved from left to right, and inevitably ended at Duo. Sparing a glance at her friends, she flashed a quick smile of hello and ran a finger down Duo's nose. He closed his eyes, savouring her touch, and a faint waft of her perfume drifted past his nose. As quickly as she had come, she was gone, striding back up the steps to centre stage.

Oh baby for all it's worth  
I swear I'll be the first to blow your mind  
Now that you're ready, give it to me  
Just give me that hot, sweet, sexy loving  
Now give me a little spanking

The whistles and catcalls broke out again as the horn took the tune and Hilde moved to the music, her body smoothly moving in time.

Ohh, ohh, is that all you've got?  
Come on now, don't play with me

Oh give me that hot, sweet, nasty  
Boy don't you make me wait  
Now you better give me a little taste  
Put your icing on my cake  
You nasty boy

The song ended, Hilde's eyes closed, her head back, and her hand to her throat. The other was held on the microphone, and as the music wound to a close, the room gave her a standing ovation. Duo sat, stunned, as the vision in front of him smiled and waved. She looked at him, and their eyes locked for a second. She smiled coyly, and then turned to her performance once more. The strains of the next song floated out, and Relena touched his arm, waking him from his trance.

"Duo? Your dinners here." She said, starting her own.

"Oh, er thanks." Duo started, and started his dinner, his eyes often travelling to the stage. Captivated as he was, he failed to notice the whispered conversation around him.

"This is going better than we hoped." Cathy giggled.

"He can't take his eyes off her." Dorothy agreed.

"Do you think they will be able to make things up?" Sally asked worriedly. Relena watched him miss his mouth, then shake himself and carry on eating.

"Oh yeah." She grinned. The men next to them rolled their eyes at the wives and girlfriends matchmaking, and pulled them back into hugs. The girls laughed and carried on with their dinners.

An hour later, Hilde's first set came to an end.

"Thank you very much everybody." Her soft voice, magnified by the microphone, flowed around her captive audience like a heady wine. "I'm going to take a short break now, but I will be back in half an hour." The audience clapped enthusiastically as she left the stage, the pilots and their ladies among them.

"That was amazing!" Relena exclaimed as she turned to the others. "Hilde is really talented, don't you think so Duo?" She carried on, but Duo had disappeared. Exchanging a knowing glance with her friends, the conversation was steered in another direction.

Hilde was calm all the way off stage, thanking the crew and other performers for their congratulations, signing autographs, and listening to her manager buzzing in her ear. Gaining her dressing room door, she turned to them and told them in no uncertain terms that she needed to be left alone so that she could change. Her manager opened his mouth to protests, but suddenly found himself staring at a door. Mentally chiding himself, he walked away.

Inside the room, Hilde leaned her head against the cool door. Seeing Duo tonight had been a shock to the system, but she thought she had recovered well. She had told the others what she was doing, but had asked them not to tell Duo, as she was sure he never wanted to see him again, but they had gone against her wishes and brought him to see her anyway. Not that she wasn't pleased. Her body reacted just the way it always did when she was around him, making her insides squirm in pleasure. Only his eyes were able to send shivers up her spine with a single glance. Only his unique scent of motor oil and shampoo could set her pulse racing. She tired to regulate her breathing as she felt heat flush through her body at the thoughts that he conjured in her head. Standing tall again, she headed for the screen and began to change into her outfit for the second set. She heard the door open and close, and sighed heavily.

"Tomas! I told you I need some time alone!" She called to her manager, pulling her dress over her head. "If it's autographs tell them I will sign them after the show. Anything else I'm not available for just now." She pulled the new dress over her head, a short midnight blue sparkling dress, and tried to zip up the back. After a few moments of unsuccessful attempts, she called out to her silent manager. "Well if you're not gonna leave, come and help me with this zip, I can't get it done up." She said, turning and walking out from behind the screen. Her head down, she turned around. "Come on, I want some time to relax before I start my new set." Warm hands brushed her back as they slowly took the zip and did it up. "Thanks. That's much better." Hilde said, swishing her hair over her shoulders again. She turned to face her manager, and the words died on her lips. Standing in front of her was the man of her dreams.

He stared at her as if he had never seen her before, and long moments passed as they simply looked at each other. Finally Hilde spoke.

"Are you gonna say something or just stare at me?" She murmured. Duo mentally shook himself and opened his mouth, but no words came out. Hilde raised her eyebrows and turned away. "What do you want, Duo? You want to tell me that I'm a whore? That I'm worthless? That you would rather never see me again because you can't even look at me?" Hilde's voice began to shake.

Duo physically flinched as every word she spoke struck him like a slap. Her words brought back painful memories of the night he had come home and found another man in the house, and the jealous rage that had consumed him. Fuelled by drink, it had caused the mother of all arguments between them, and he stormed out and ended up blind drunk. He had spent that night with the first girl who gave him the eye, and woke up in the morning like a bear with a sore head. He had come home, complete with flowers and an apology, only to find that she had gone, leaving no note or explanation. She been gone from his life for two years, two years of utter and desolate loneliness, heartache that consumed him, which he could only get away from at the bottom of a bottle. He watched her, the scenes from that fateful night flashing through his mind's eye, and his shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry." He whispered dejectedly.

"Sorry!" Hilde whirled on him, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Sorry, he says! Do you know what hell I went through that night! Not knowing if you were going to come home, not knowing if I wanted you to?! You hurt me Duo, you broke my heart that night! And all you have to say is sorry?"

"I can't say anything else Hilde. That night has haunted me for two years, I wish I could take it back, I really do." His head hung low, and his fists clenched at his side in a vain attempt to stop the tears from falling.

"Do you? I seem to remember you were pretty adamant at the time, and it damn felt like you meant it!" She hissed angrily. She whirled round, ready to give him another tirade, and saw sparkling diamond drops falling from his bowed head. Her heart melted, and the cutting words died on her lips. The fight went out from her, and Duo felt her hand on his face. "Did you honestly think you could say things like that and not lose me?" Duo looked into her eyes for the first time since he had entered the room.

"Hilde, I am so sorry. I came back the next day with flowers and everything, I was gonna apologise, and clean up my act, cause I realised that night how much I needed you with me, and it killed me that you had some other guy there. But when I got home and you weren't there, it tore me apart. My life has been a living hell without you babes. I'm a wreck, and you are the only one who can help me put the pieces back together."His face had an earnest look about it, and Hilde stroked his cheek.

"I believe you Duo, but old wounds heal slow. I can't be sure you won't do it again and lash out at me. You lost my trust that night, and it's gonna take a lot to get it back."

"Please babes, just give me a chance and I'll prove it to you." Duo begged. "Please Hilde, don't make me lose you again, I couldn't handle it." The tears coursed down his cheeks, his violet eyes glistening with yet more unshed tears, and Hilde turned away.

"I don't wanna be hurt again." She whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. Duo stepped closer, reaching his hand out and gently laying it on her shoulder.

"I promise I will never hurt you again Hilde. It's taken me two years of pain and misery, but I've realised that I can't live without you. You mean everything to me, and I never want to be apart from you again. I thought you would never love me, and I wanted to hurt you so that you could feel some of my pain. I'm so ashamed of myself, you have no idea how much I have beaten myself up over it." Hilde turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.

"You thought I loved him?" She turned fully, her eyes searching his tear stained face. "He was a friend Duo, someone I turned to when I needed to talk. And he was gay, so there is no way I was on his list of conquests."

"But he was in your bed, naked."

"His boyfriend had kicked him out for the night and I offered him my bed. I slept on the floor, and nothing happened!"

"You could have talked to me Hil, you know you could have."

"No I couldn't Duo, not about this. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me, to live in the same house as you and think that you didn't feel for me? To see you out when we went to the clubs, dancing with every girl but me? It ripped me apart, and if I didn't tell somebody I would have exploded! But I couldn't tell you Duo, because you were the cause of it all." Hilde stopped, breathing heavily. "That night was the last straw. I was convinced that you didn't feel for me and never would, so I left and got out of your way so that you could go on with your life."

"My life stopped when you walked out that door. I couldn't carry on without you. I realised then what I should have realised years ago babes." Duo seized her hands, looking into her eyes, pleading with her. "I love you. I always have, and I always will. My heart and soul are yours, and always will be." Hilde was stunned. Her mouth dropped open, and her brain seemed to have slowed to a crawl. Duo let go of her hands and turned away. "But I understand. I know I hurt you, and I am truly sorry. I just wanted to make it up to you and apologise. I won't bother you again." He said reaching the door. "Goodbye Hilde, I wish you all the happiness in the world. With all my heart." He opened the door. Hilde's brain rushed back into working. Racing over to the door, she shoved it shut, Duo's hand still on the handle. Duo turned round to see her eyes sparkling and her chest heaving from her sudden exertion. Holding his face in both her soft white hands, she leaned in close to him and whispered.

"And who said you could leave?" Her whisper sent waves of heat through Duo, and he swallowed nervously.

"Hilde..." He began.

"Shut up, Duo." His mouth closed instantly. "You think you can say something like that and not pay the consequences?" She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, and felt tears trickling down his cheeks. She tasted like strawberries and cream, and Duo's head began to spin. "I have dreamed of you saying that to me for so long. I can't believe that you actually said it." Duo looked puzzled.

"What that I love you?" Hilde sighed happily.

"Say it again." She whispered, and Duo smiled, the first real smile in two years.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear. "I love you." His arms wrapped around her waist. "I love you!" He picked her up and spun her round. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I LOVE YOU!" The door burst open, and their friends grinned as they saw Duo holding Hilde tightly, his face buried in her shoulder. "I love you." He said, his voice muffled by her body. Hilde grinned at the others and stroked his hair, then pulled back quickly.

"Oh my god!" She cursed. "I will be right back." She ran out of the room, calling for Tom, leaving a very bewildered Duo looking at his friends. The girls beamed at him, and the lads just smirked.

"You planned this, didn't you?" Duo accused them. Quatre held up his hands.

"Our hands are clean in this!" He exclaimed.

"No of course we didn't!" Relena chimed in, her eyes shifting. "Well, maybe just a little." She smiled ruefully. "But it all worked out in the end. ARGH!" She screamed slightly as Duo picked her up in a huge hug and everyone laughed.

"Thankyou." Duo murmured in her ear. "To all of you." They nodded, then spread out and took seats around the room.

"I think we can wait here for her set to finish." Cathy said, settling onto the comfortable sofa. Trowa sat beside her, his arm around her shoulders. Seconds later, Hilde stalked in, followed by her ranting manager.

"Scrap, baby, you can't do this to me!" Hilde turned sharply, her hair flying out behind her.

"I can and I am. I reserved the right to break my contract whenever I wanted, and you agreed. Furthermore, you are carrying away more money from this than me, so I suggest you get out before I change my mind." Her manager quickly shut up and started to back out. Reaching the door, he tossed her a wink.

"Gonna miss you kid." He threw her a wave and disappeared. Quatre tactfully closed the door as Hilde stepped into Duo's arms.

"I wanna go home Duo, back to the scrap yard. With you." She murmured, her head resting on his chest.

"Me too babes. I promise, I will never hurt you again." He said softly, resting his head on top of hers, and closing his eyes. Around them, their friends were hugging their respective partners, and Duo felt at peace with the world.


End file.
